Friend or Foe
by Cettia cetti
Summary: Due to an accident, Severus and Harry had to look after Sirius together... Would they drive each other insane?
1. Declaimer

Friend or Foe - by Cettia cetti  
  
Author notes: Hello! It's my third fan-fiction. After "Diamond of Light" and "Memory of a Wolf", I decide to write something more funny and humorous. I sometimes have a sense of humor when I'm in a good mood. I hope people would smile inwardly, or laugh aloud when they read "Friend or Foe". By the way, not all the chapters are humorous, of course. Here's the summary of the story.  
  
Summary: Due to an accident, Severus and Harry had to look after Sirius. The three guys were going to drive each other insane. Dumbledore was very happy about this arrangement, but Remus showed his disapproval. Again, it's not a slash story.  
  
Genre: Humor and angst (does it make sense?)  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Main characters: Severus Snape, Sirius Black and Harry Potter  
  
Declaimer: All the characters belong to J. K. Rowling. She owns the copyrights for all the characters, their personalities, and the new terms in the Harry Potter Series.  
  
This story is beta-read by Kayleigh. I give my special thanks to my beta- reader.  
  
Enjoy the story, and remember to REVIEW! 


	2. Padfoot and Moony returned

_Special thanks to my beta-reader, Kayleigh_

**Friend or Foe**

**Chapter 1 – Padfoot and Moony Return**

Harry quickened his pace, his hand still clutching the note tightly. He did not know why Dumbledore wanted to see him. It was several hours after the Welcoming Feast and he was dead tired. Harry just hoped that it had nothing to do with Voldemort. He did not have many dreams about the Dark Lord since the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, which was a good thing. At least he could have a few more days of dreamless sleep. Dumbledore's urgent summon made him suspect there was something wrong in the link between Voldemort and himself. Maybe it was the reason why he could not feel anything.

He was so deep in thought that he nearly bumped his head on the gargoyle, which was guarding the entrance of Dumbledore's office. Harry gave the password, and the gargoyle slid aside, revealing the staircase. He climbed the stairs quickly and knocked on the door.

"Come in," the Headmaster said gently.

Harry opened the door and stepped inside. He was about to ask what was the matter, when someone tackled him from behind.

"Oof!" He fell onto the floor with a crash. He tried to free himself from the attacker's tight embrace but failed pathetically. The attacker was much stronger than him.

"Harry! I miss you so much!" cried the unknown attacker.

Harry recognized the voice at once. It was Sirius. The boy even struggled harder.

"Hey! Geroff me!" Harry cried in an undignified manner.

Sirius grinned ear from ear while he released his godson from his tight grip. Harry scrambled to his feet and tried to straighten his robe. He looked quite baffled, but he blushed as he saw the Headmaster beaming at him.

"Don't you miss me too?" Sirius asked in a mock hurt tone. He gave his best puppyish look. However, Harry's reply was out of his expectation.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? TURNING UP LIKE THIS? YOU COULD HAVE BEEN SEEN! DO YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO AZKABAN, SIRIUS BLACK?" Harry practically screeched at the top of his lungs.

Sirius seemed to shrink and wince every time Harry started a new sentence. He had never seen a scolding Harry before.

"Oh sweet Merlin! You're starting to sound like Lily," sounded a horrified voice from the door.

"Professor Lupin!" Harry cried in surprise as he turned around.

"Hello Har-" Remus never finished his sentence as he was cut off by Harry's ranting.

"YOU LET SIRIUS COME WITH YOU, PROFESSOR? DO YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS IT WAS? SIRIUS' NAME HAS NOT YET BEEN CLEARED YET! YOU'RE GIVING ME A HEART ATTACK!"

Harry inhaled deeply, preparing for another ranting. Remus grabbed the chance and spoke loudly, "Sirius and I are okay! We come here using a Portkey!"

Harry swallowed his next sentence, looking rather sheepish.

"Oh," was all he said.

"I assure you that Sirius is perfectly safe here, Harry. I made the Portkey myself. Sirius and Remus arrived at my office an hour ago. They have not left ever since," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling behind the half-moon spectacles. Then he added, "I didn't know you could be so protective sometimes, my dear boy."

Harry flushed a brighter red this time. Remus chuckled.

"Hearing Lily's screeching from James' mouth is traumatizing enough," Sirius muttered. He earned a deadly glare from Harry. He squeaked and went to hide behind Remus.

Dumbledore watched them in amusement. It was like in old times, watching his mischievous students bicker at each other. He cleared his throat to catch the attention of his students.

"Harry, I called Sirius and Remus to Hogwarts because you need more protection. Voldemort is back, and you will be the first person he wants to get rid of," said Dumbledore seriously.

"But sir, I don't have any dreams about Voldemort-" Harry argued. He hated being watched and followed around. More importantly, he did not want to put Sirius and Remus in danger.

"Exactly," Dumbledore sighed. "Since you don't have any visions, we don't know what he is plotting. Even Severus has not been called to a meeting yet. I guess Voldemort is recuperating his strength. Once he comes to full power, he'll strike. We'd better be prepared."

Harry nodded numbly. It was true. _If he had not given his blood to Voldemort_…

"Harry!" Sirius' voice jerked him out of his guilty thoughts.

"Yes?" he said absentmindedly.

"Well, I'm not going to follow you as Snuffles. It's difficult to fight in my Animagus form. But I'm still going to accompany you whenever and wherever you go… as a _human," Sirius emphasized at the last few words._

Harry's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"H-how?" he stuttered.

"We're going to use a De-Aging Charm. Sirius will be de-aged to his fifteen-year-old self and attend the lessons with you," Remus explained.

Harry's brows furrowed. He shook his head.

"This won't work! Sirius' mind will be de-aged to fifteen-years-old too."

"That will not be a problem, Harry. Albus has found a charm that would de-age Sirius physically, but not mentally," Remus replied and looked at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore rubbed his temples as he talked, "Yes, it is indeed a very ancient charm. To perform it successfully, the wizard or witch must put a lot of magical energy and concentration on the spell."

"What will happen if the charm is not performed correctly?" asked Harry warily.

"The victim's mind would be probably de-aged to."

Harry eyed Sirius cautiously. Sirius, however, gave him a big smile.

"Don't worry. I trust Albus' skill and talent with my soul," he assured the boy. Remus nodded his head to show his agreement as well.

"Actually, I don't mind if Sirius' brain remains at the level of a kid's. You know, seeing an ickle Sirius would be priceless," Remus joked, but yelped in pain when Sirius elbowed his ribs with an extraordinary force. Harry just smiled at the two.

"I see that you've made your decision," Dumbledore interrupted, "Do you want to perform the charm now?"

Sirius nodded his head vigorously, while Remus rolled his eyes at his friend's childish behavior. Harry looked pensively at them. He was dying to know how a mini-Sirius would look like.

"I'd take that as a yes," the Headmaster chuckled as he rose from his comfortable chair. He took out his wand and walked towards Sirius. He waved it once to move the furniture aside, and leaned against the chair nearby for support.

"Ready?"

At Sirius' resolute nod, Dumbledore pointed his wand at Sirius and said, "_Præter_

_Ætas__!"_

Praeter Aetas: Past age

Please review~


	3. The Vision of Death

Special thanks to my beta-readers, Divaat12 and Alyria.

Friend or Foe

Chapter 2

Silver and gold sparks came out of the headmaster¡¦s wand. They suspended in mid-air and fused together to become a tiny dazzling light ball. Harry watched with fascination as Dumbledore poured more magical power in the charm, making the light ball grow in size.

A tingle went through Harry¡¦s famous scar, but he paid no attention to it. He was too absorbed in watching his Headmaster performing the charm. Then suddenly, his scar exploded in pain and his vision blurred. The surroundings started to fade away. Harry gasped as he found that he was now in an unfamiliar place.

There were various kinds of shops and houses, much like a bigger vision of Diagon Alley. The street was lit up by torches, and the people were chatting, dancing and drinking merrily. It seemed that they were celebrating something. There was an unusual tall tree at the end of the village, and it was nicely decorated. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw a hooded figure appeared out of no where. Two bright, gleaming red eyes were peering through the hood. Harry felt his heart sinking¡K He knew who this person was¡K

_Voldemort._

A little girl stopped in front of the Dark Lord, staring at him curiously. She really wanted to know how this person looked like.

Harry, however, was screaming at her to run away. Then he found that nobody could hear him. He tried to tug a woman¡¦s robe, hoping she would notice him. He yelped as he discovered that his hand went through the fabric, and the woman walked through him.

The feeling of dread was consuming the teenage boy.

Voldemort slowly removed his hood, revealing his chalky white skin, blood-lust eyes and lipless mouth. He gave a twisted smile at the little girl. A glint of evil was dancing hungrily in his eyes.

The girl¡¦s mouth was hanging opened. She did not expect this. She backed away from the evil man shakily. With a terrified cry, she turned around and ran for her safety.

Voldemort smiled even wider. He raised his wand and mouthed the deadly words.

¡§_Avada Kedavra,¡¨_

The sickly green sparks raced towards the innocent child. The curse hit painfully on her back and sent her sprawling on the stony ground.

She was dead. Not a single drop of life was left behind.

The child¡¦s parents were at the girl¡¦s side in a flash. They sobbed in despair and disbelief when they discovered that their beloved daughter was no longer alive.

Wizards and witches pulled out their wands. They yelled in anger and advanced on the Dark Lord. Curses flew through the air, but they seemed to have no effect on the evil man. The villagers soon discovered that Voldemort was very resistant towards the curses, or more precisely, he was absorbing the magical energy of every curse cast on him.

The air around them soon filled with terror and hopelessness.

Voldemort sneered in disgust. He flicked his wrist. At least fifteen wizards and witches were thrown at the walls or glass windows of the shop. They moaned in pain. None of them was able to get up.

The Dark Lord was having his fun. He cast the Cruciatus Curse on them. The sick enjoyment on his face was obvious when he heard the victims¡¦ agonizing screams.

The other villagers shouted in fright. They ran aimlessly like wild animals, trying to escape from the insane demon.

Voldemort laughed wickedly. He stretched out his hand and muttered some strange words. A dark red aura appeared above his palm, but it turned into a black energy ball almost immediately. The ball of power grew bigger in an alarming rate. Deadly silver and green sparks appeared and surrounded the orb of darkness. Harry could feel the power radiating from the black orb.

The power of hatred, evil and darkness.

_The power of destruction._

Harry shuddered violently. He was sweating profusely and his head hurt like hell. He did not want to witness what was going to happen. He wanted to get out of this vision.

Without warning, the dark orb of energy above the Dark Lord¡¦s palm exploded. Harry found himself being thrown into a void of darkness. Inhuman howls of pain filled his ears¡K He could smell the iron-like scent of blood¡K

The frightened youth flailed his arms about blindly. He could feel the dark magic crawling on his skin. The scene of evil seemed to be seeking a way to enter his very soul. A wave of pleasure washed over his body momentarily, as he continued to listen to the victims¡¦ screams. Then he felt the power of darkness trying to rip his body apart¡K he was suffocating¡K

Then it was gone.

Harry gasped, loudly. He looked around wildly, hoping to find some lives.

The whole village was ruined. It looked like there was a powerful explosion. Blood was everywhere. The bodies of the villagers were mangled and pale. It seemed that their blood was drained completely. The remnants of the buildings scattered around. The most mysterious thing was that the corpses and the place were radiating an eerie dark aura.

Harry felt his stomach churned. He did not deserve to witness this. _A massacre! He was trembling like mad and tears were making their way down his cheeks._

¡§_Stand,¡¨ a voice hissed._

The boy jerked. He had forgotten that Voldemort was still there. He turned around to watch the Dark Lord fearfully. He couldn¡¦t see me, could he? Harry thought frantically.

Harry saw a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. He took a few steps forward to get a better view. What he saw made him freeze in his tracks.

Dark flames were engulfing the corpses. The clothing on them was torn apart as their bodies started to change in shape. They became bigger and more muscular. Their skin color became an abnormal bluish grey, while their lips were in a poisonous black color. Their fingers lengthened and the nails became sharp, blood-red talons. Their legs were twisted in odd angles, much like the hind legs of wild animals. Shiny black scales decorated the limbs as the feet slowly became claws. Spikes struggled their way out of the backs of the corpses, tearing the fresh apart in the process. The hair was burnt into ashes in seconds, yet silver locks replaced it almost immediately. The creatures hardly had any clothing now, as they were torn into pieces during the transformation. The dark flames seemed to be burning forever. They licked the creatures¡¦ frames playfully, shielding the creatures¡¦ torsi.

Harry wanted to back away, but his feet were rooted on the ground. Whatever these creatures were, they were dangerous and evil.

¡§Come to me,¡¨ Harry heard Voldemort hissed maliciously.

One of the creatures next to Harry opened its eyes, slowly.

The boy had to cover his mouth to muffle his scream of horror. The creature¡¦s eyes were pitch-black from corner to corner. Without the pupils and irises, they were just like endless dark tunnels. If you looked carefully, you could discover a slight tint of angry red swirling within the darkness. Harry could feel the chill ran down his spine. The creature¡¦s eyes showed nothing but menace.

Voldemort¡¦s face wore a crooked smile as the creatures half-crawled and half-walked to him.

¡§Welcome to my Dark Fortress, my loyal _Eversors_,¡¨ the Dark Lord said as he raised his wand, sending the Dark Mark up to the sky.

It was the final straw. Harry felt as if his head was going to burst. His vision darkened¡K 

* * * 

**_Author notes: Here¡¦s chapter two. I hope you¡¦ll like it._**

****

**_Thanks to all reviewers:_**

**_Angelica, padfootprankster13, Aeryn Alexander, A Snape & Sirius Fan, sirius the homicidal maniac, o0o- Sirius -o0o, chris, sweetnessspy, Chaandsitarah, someone :), Christina, and Heaven's Angel Chick_**


	4. When a Spell went Wrong

**Friend or Foe**

**Chapter 3 - When a Spell went Wrong**

With a gasp, Harry was suddenly able to see again. He was back in Dumbledore's office. He was still sitting in the armchair, and he was grateful for that. Harry wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeve, and winced when he accidentally brushed his scar. It was throbbing painfully- he had to bite his tongue from crying out.

After a full minute of quiet panting, the pain slowly ebbed away. He took a look at his surroundings. Remus was sitting in front of him, watching Dumbledore intently. Harry wondered how long he had been in the vision, it seemed like forever. He must have managed to refrain from moaning and thrashing somehow, otherwise he was sure that Remus would have taken him to the hospital wing.

The young boy wanted to tell the Headmaster about is vision. He opened his mouth, but closed it quickly when he saw his mentor's serious expression. Beads of sweat were shining on Dumbledore's forehead. It was when he discovered that no light balls were suspending in front of the wand tip. Instead, there was a chain of light beads, which kept colliding on Sirius' chest.

Harry's mouth dropped open when he saw Sirius' face.

His Godfather's face was no more worn-out and tired; it had become more peaceful and youthful. His hair was a lot tidier and shorter, but a few strands still stood on end stubbornly. Sirius still looked very tall, which made Harry become extremely jealous of him. The 'convicted murderer' looked like an eighteenth-year-old now. So Harry knew the charm was almost complete.

Without warning, the door was flung opened violently. A black figure dashed into the office, knocking the Headmaster over in the process. A huge light ball erupted from Dumbledore's wand and hurled towards Sirius.

Sirius did not know what was going on, as he had shut his eyes tightly. He opened his left eye when he heard Harry yelling his name in panic. However, it was already too late. He felt a great magical power crashed into his body. The animagus was rendered unconscious at once. He was thrown backwards in a great speed and he collided with a nearby bookshelf. The bookshelf swung once, and then twice, and finally all the books fell out of it and buried the knocked-out wizard.

"Sirius!" Harry cried in alarm as he dashed towards the pile of books.

Remus, on the other hand, was helping Dumbledore to sit on an armchair nearby. He turned around and faced the tall, black figure.

"What was that for, Severus?" he asked quietly, annoyance was clear in his voice. "Can't you see that Albus is performing a complicated charm?"

Snape sneered at the werewolf.

"I'm here to report the Dark Lord¡¦s movement. It's _important." the Potions Master replied, his arms folding across his chest._

"You've been called?" Dumbledore asked in concern.

"No. Mr. Weasley informed me that the Redwood Village was destroyed. The Aurors had already gone to the village, but they could not get inside. Powerful wards were placed around it and¡K no life can be detected." Snape reported emotionlessly.

"Are you the only Death Eater whom Voldemort hadn't summoned during this attack? Does he suspect you?" the Headmaster questioned.

"None of the Death Eaters was called, Headmaster. The Dark Mark would have burnt if he summoned any of us. Voldemort destroyed the village, alone." The ex-Death Eater's face darkened as he continued, "It's obvious that he has already come to his full power."

The three adults sat gravely in silence as they tried to process the information. Several minutes later, Snape noticed what Harry was doing and snapped.

"_Potter!_ Would you mind using the big head of yours and say the Levitation Charm? Stop throwing the expensive books around at this instant!"

Harry was so worried that he had not thought of using magic to rescue his godfather at all. He was throwing another book away when Snape criticized his state of mind. Unfortunately, the heavy book flew through the air and landed on the Potions Master head, hard, and with a loud smack.

Harry's face paled; while Snape's face was tinted faintly in red in anger.

"_Wingadium__ Leviosa!" the professor snarled._

The books rose into the air, revealing a mop of sooty air. Harry quickly grabbed Sirius' hand. He froze. 

_It was too small._

Harry blinked and looked at his godfather. Resting on his chest was a delicate child, who was about five or six years old. He looked cute even if he had closed his eyes. A bruise was formed on the child's forehead.

Harry's jaw dropped. "S-Sirius?" he stuttered.

"_What? That midget __was Black?" Snape snorted. __The damn mutt met his fall, finally!_

"He's not a midget!" Harry and Remus shouted at the same time.

"What did he get himself into this time?" the greasy-haired wizard asked lazily, clearly enjoying the scene in front of him.

Remus spoke nothing but glared at Snape. The Headmaster took the chance to explain the current incident; while Harry was shaking his godfather's shoulders frantically, trying to wake the de-aged wizard.

"I was performing a De-aging Charm on Sirius. Somehow I lost control of my magic and I poured too much power in it. It's supposed that Sirius would be de-aged to a fifteen-year-old boy, but now he's de-aged to his childhood. I should be responsible for this¡K I just hope Sirius' mind won't be regressed as well." Dumbledore said tiredly, still not fully recovered from the magical expense.

"It's not your fault, Albus. If that _idiot-" Remus paused as he threw a dirty look at Snape, "-hadn't knocked you over, you wouldn't have lost control of your power."_

"You should have placed a Locking Charm on the door, if you thought that the charm was _so_ important," the Potions Master said snidely, a few strands of greasy hair fell in his eyes.

"_Excuse me, I remember so well that I did place a Locking Charm. Only a certain someone was dense enough to __blast through the door." Remus began to raise his voice._

"That only proves that you're too weak to perform a _basic spell," Snape said harshly._

"You-" Remus was about to retaliate when he heard Harry's call.

"Professor Lupin!"

The little boy in Harry's arms stirred slowly. Snape clicked his tongue in annoyance, as the kid opened his eyes with the speed of a flobberworm. Harry tensed as two large, pale blue eyes stared at him in confusion.

Little Sirius looked around, taking notes of his surroundings. He glanced pass a scowling Snape, a concerned Remus and a worried Dumbledore. Then his eyes rested on Harry again.

"It hurts..." Sirius whimpered softly, his lower lip trembling.

Harry did not know what to do when Sirius' eyes began to water. Without warning, the child wailed at the top of his lungs.

"WHAAAAH!"

* * *

_I find that this story is becoming weirder... Well, I¡¦ll certainly revise it, find a beta-reader and replace the ridiculous chapters in future. I have written about 10 chapters already and I need time to amend the drafts and type them. Happy New Year to you all!_

_Thanks to all reviewers:_

**Dimgwrthien****, Heaven's Angel Chick, sweetyspy05, Padawan Jess Kenobi, Gracie Lou1, Bronfelen, Yukirei and** Lady Tanarion****


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